Fasting, Friends and Farming

Has is only been five weeks? It feels like so much has happened, I’m not sure where to start. I guess there was that one time when…

I fasted for two weeks of Ramadan with the Muslim majority of my community and was reminded that although not religious myself, sharing an important religious practice can be an incredible way to absorb the local culture, a chance to learn how to cook delicious Katsepy Muslim dishes, to eat and converse with more families, be dressed up and send to the mosque, and to become a connected part of an extended family. Unexpected things to share: Fasting during the daylight hours of Ramadan, Katsepy style, actually means saving as much room in your stomach for the feast you’re going to have each night, complete with many coconut specialties. Arabic songs shared during Islamic mass are beautiful and soulful, and the traditional hand-shaking ritual is one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had in a church setting. The women’s finest robes come out for Friday mass, even though they pray in a separate room from the men.

A friend from Seattle, Elise, came to visit and hung out with me in Katsepy for a week. And we had a wonderful time climbing coconut and mango trees, tending the garden, transplanting rice, taking pictures to create a Katsepy photo journal, fossil hunting on the beach, and an amazing day spent walking to the lighthouse and hanging out with those lemurs – I’ve had great views while munching on cheese and crackers (a splurge) before but never one quite so animated or curious or downright cute – we’re talking baby lemur cute, trucking around on mama’s back or just learning how to jump.

I got an awesome care package from friends back home in Seattle via Elise. You all rock! Letters, pictures, friendship bracelets, books, music, games, chocolate and mac and cheese…what else could I ask for?! Thank you all so much! Thinking of you lots and always sending my love.

I spent 24 hours on a bush taxi after a rather wet ‘ferry’ ride in order to make it across the country to the wetter east coast for the annual PC Tamatave Bike Race and AIDS sensitization, where I saw many fellow PCV’s, did condom demos complete with wooden penis in front of groups of truck drivers, acted as water girl to speeding by bike racers, witnessed the combined hilarity and seriousness of the rickshaw race, ate pizza and ice cream, and went out dancing!

Elise and I visited Ankarafanstika National Park, exploring the last of Madagascar’s western dry deciduous forest and a really cool canyon carved out of bright red and orange sandstones. Got to check out loads of lizards, chamelons, turtles, and lemurs – spent a whole morning following the lemur highway from our tent to the turtle nesting grounds. And we suffered ‘only’ two flat tires on the bush taxi ride home.

With five Katsepy families, planted my own plot of rice using improved farming techniques and afterwards threw a transplanting party…complete with coke and cookies and lots of picture taking. And the rice is still alive and growing…harvest expected for December!

I learned the hard way how to properly transplant vegetables in my garden…though I must say I learned more in the one week after approximately 66.6% of my first round of vegetable transplants died than the entire month of lead-up reading. Forced to confess my lack of prior experience and to ask advice from all the farmers around my garden plot, I got a firmer grasp on locally suited techniques. And even better, I now have farmers more frequently visiting my plot, checking up on me and expressing greater interest now that they have invested some time into my garden. Seeing their existing techniques used to successfully plant vegetable crops new to the region has encouraged them to try little experiments in their own gardens. And now I have tasty little bok choi plants, melons, baby tomato and eggplants, and with any luck a few cabbage plants.

I discovered eating more than one mango (read:3-4) a day leads to a minor allergic reaction causing my skin to itch like crazy – can’t have it all I guess…bloody karma. But…jackfruits are freshly in season too…delicious!

I ‘did away’ with the four mice living in my house only to realize that they were very likely the reason I hadn’t seen the gigantic, super scary spiders in my house for a while. An unexpected symbiotic relationship?

It rained in Katsepy…complete with thunder lightening and a pretty wicked sunset.

Woot! Well that is pretty much the update from this side of the world. Hope everyone is doing well back home and not becoming too stressed with the election hoopla in the States. I miss you all very much…always great to receive letters and hear the news. Thanks again to Elise for an awesome visit and for bringing so many fun things from friends back home. Thanks to those who gave donations as well…I’m beginning to teach environment education classes this week and am hoping to have the Environment Ed Club’s first project be a school tree nursery…the amount donated should be more than enough to cover costs plus some! I’ll keep you posted on the progress of the project.
And finally pretty cute story to share…Elise was asked repeatedly how my mom and the rest of my family was doing back in the States, because of course, if she was a good enough friend to come and visit, she must know all of them. :) She was also asked to send Katsepy hello’s back to friends and family in the States. In the off chance you all reading this blog don’t actually know Elise, consider this your hello from Tara’s Katsepy friends and family! Sending much love and positive thoughts to all. Have a great upcoming Halloween celebration, possibly with a lemur costume contribution? :)

Love and Peace,
Tara